


Concupiscence

by aykayem



Series: Fifty-two words [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 11:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1345315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aykayem/pseuds/aykayem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco's self-esteem is a little bit low, but Theo proves that they have just as much right to be out as everyone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Concupiscence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greatdisorder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatdisorder/gifts).



  
_concupiscence_  
(n.) any yearning of the soul for good

"Oi."

Theo glanced over to Draco curiously, wondering why he was whispering. They were in the Three Broomsticks on a rare expedition out, and had been oddly well-received. Just a handful of dark looks when they went into a couple of the more populated shops, but as long as they kept their heads down and their mouths shut, things went rather well. Draco had happily done so, looking as much like he was trying to disappear as he ever did, and though Theo had just a bit more trouble managing it, he'd done so. Mostly for the blond's sake.

"What?" Theo asked, leaning a little closer so that he could properly hear the conversation above the din of the pub. People were laughing somewhere behind them. Unsurprising, given that they were hiding in the far back corner of the room, trying to be inconspicuous. It was working, funnily enough; once they had holed themselves away, people seemed content to just ignore that they were there at all.

"You think this was a good idea?" Draco asked quietly, concern written all over his face as he looked out over the laughing crowds of people, all of whom were having fun in their respective groups. It was the typical scene from their youth, right down to some of the people they could see. It looked like the Weasleys were having a night out: the remaining twin was having a laugh, clapping Ron on the back while the younger looked proud of himself, grinning out at his friends. The little Weaslette sat next to Potter, who looked like he was paying more attention to the story being told than his girlfriend, and Granger was beaming up at Ron proudly. It was a happy little scene.

"We could always leave," Theo suggested, pulling a face as though he found the whole thing disgusting. He twisted back around from looking at them, rolling his eyes at Draco. The blond chuckled a little, his smile wry and appreciative. 

"No, we can't. What would we do? Hide ourselves away forever in our parents' homes?"

"Well-"

"We're not doing it, Theo. Come on," Draco replied, scoffing softly. "We shouldn't have to hide. It wasn't our choice."

"We still have the Mark on our arms, don't we?"

" _Still_. We're supposed to suffer for the rest of our lives? We both know that- That all we want to do is live, right? We don't want to make a scene, we don't want to be the centre of attention-"

Theo scoffed, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Shut up."

"Come on, Draco. Listen to yourself. Of course you want to be the centre of attention. You always have, you always will."

"I'm willing to make a concession if it means being left alone," Draco replied, his cheeks flushing a hot red.

"Sure, you are," Theo replied, his smirk somehow endearing and affectionate.

Silence fell between them as the blond simply took up his Butterbeer, sipping at it long and slow to try and gather his wits back about him.

"I'm just- I'm tired of seeing the way people look at me nowadays," Draco murmured softly after a long few minutes, his eyes locked on the table. "Like I'm this…pathetic waste of space."

The fact that Draco would even believe them made Theo's heart sink a little, tightening uncomfortably in his chest. Sure, it made sense - the blond had always cared just a little too much what people thought of him. When they thought highly of him, he was fine; his ego was intact. When they thought poorly of him, though? That was when his self-esteem fell through the floor. It was obvious to anyone who looked at him if he wasn't feeling quite right that day: he seemed to shrink into himself.

Just like he was doing right now. His shoulders were hunched a little, his chin was tucked in, his eyes down, locked on the table. His hands were wrapped around the mug, his elbows tucked in. He was definitely trying to hide.

"Draco."

The blond didn't look up, and so Theo repeated his name a bit louder, a bit sharper: "Draco. Look at me."

He did.

"You're not a waste of space. You're not pathetic. You survived, all right? We both did. We did it. Sooner or later, all of this is going to blow over, and you'll be able to do whatever you want again. All right?" Theo wasn't entirely sure how much of that he believed, but the point wasn't that he believed it, it was that Draco believed it. And if nothing else, Draco had stopped looking at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Progress.

"But-"

"Don't give me 'but-', mate. I don't want to hear it. We're out in a pub. Where people know us. And have they lynched us yet? No. They don't seem to like that we're here, apparently tainting their space, but who gives a fuck what they think?"

Theo glanced back over his shoulder to where the Weasleys were all seated in the middle of the room. He paused after a second, realising that Granger was actually looking their way curiously, albeit subtly. As though she was trying to keep from drawing any attention over.

He still didn't like her.

"I certainly don't. Their opinions aren't worth anything to us, right?"

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but closed it after a moment.

" _Right_?" Theo prompted, eyebrows lifting. It was obvious he wasn't backing down.

"Right," Draco finally echoed, pursing his mouth.

Theo's hand covered Draco's subtly on the mug, thumb stroking a line against soft, pale skin. He squeezed once, and let go, his hand slipping away again.

"I don't think you're a pathetic waste of space, Draco. I'm your best friend, and it's my opinion that matters here."

Draco just smiled a little, biting back a response about how Theo's opinion was more than a little biased.


End file.
